Beam locking mechanism



Sept. 10, 1935. A. BOUSFIELD 2,014,277

BEAM LOCKING MECHANISM Original Filed March 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALFRED BQUSFIELD ATTORNEY Sept. 10, A. ELD

BEAM LOCKING MECHANISM Original Filed March 19, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALFRED BOUSFlELD ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Alfred Bousfield, St. Jchnsbury,

E. and T. Fairbanks and Company,

Vt., assignor to St. Johnsbury, Vt, a corporation of Vermont Original application 523,804. Divided March 19, 1931, Serial No. and this application August 25, 1934, Serial No. 741,431

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in beam locking mechanisms and particularly to relatively heavy beams used on plate-fulcrum railroad track scales, as shown in my co-pending 5 application, Ser. No. 523,804, Weighing scale beam, filed March 19, 1931, of which this application is a division.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for locking and securely holding the beam in its inoperative position.

Another object is to mount the beam locking rod on pivotally connected co-acting actuating members adapted to function to raise and lower the beam locking rod.

Another object is to provide manually operated mechanism for operating the locking means, which is readily controlled by the operator from the front of the scale shelf.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a weighing scale beam, partly in section, embodying a preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings designates the weigh beam of a railroad track scale, which is mounted on a plate-fulcrum attached to a standard, as shown in the above-referred to co-pending application, the standard being secured to the shelf 2, which is mounted on spaced pillars 3. Disposed on suitable supporting posts on the shelf 2 at the free end of the beam are spaced upper and lower adjustable beam stops 4 and 5, between which the beam moves, and they are provided with leather buifers 6 and 1 respectively for engaging the beam.

Mounted on the shelf 2 is a beam lock 8 comprising a movable beam locking plunger rod 9, which is mounted in a tubular standard It! having a bushing I! and having adjustably mounted on its upper threaded end a head portion l2. Within the head portion I2 is formed a central frustoconical opening, in which is inserted a frustoconical shaped leather bufier i3, held in position by an annular plate |3a fastened by screws to the head portion l2, and adapted to engage the lower edge of the beam. Below the head portion i2 is located a check or lock nut IQ for locking the head portion |2 in position. Thus the position of the head portion l2 and the buffer i3 may be readily adjusted so that the free end of the beam may be securely held between the buffer l3 and the upper beam stop buffer 4, when the beam looking rod 9 is raised to its operative position. The lower end of the rod 9 is provided with opposed channeled portions l5, and a tongue |5a on which is pivotally mounted actuating mechanism including the upper members or arms l6 of a toggle joint H, its lower member or arm l8 being pivoted in the bracket I9. At the jointure of the arms l6 and N3 of the toggle joint a connecting member 26 is pivotally connected, having one end of a connecting rod 2| secured therein, while the other end is fastened in a connecting member 22 pivotally mounted on an arm 23 fixedly attached to a shaft 24, mounted in the boss 25 on the front plate 26 of the shelf 2.

Attached to the shaft 24 is an operating crank 21, which is located outside the shelf 2, and by turning the crank downwardly movement is imparted by the connecting rod 2| and intervening parts 2|! and 22 to the toggle joint arms l6 and I8 of the toggle joint l1, causing the arms to swing outwardly and thereby raise the movable beam locking rod 9, when it is desired to lock the beam. In order to unlock the beam l for a weighing operation the crank 21 is turned upwardly, which draws the connecting rod 2| forward and causes the pivoted toggle joint arms l6 and I8 to swing inwardly, thereby retracting the beam locking rod 9 and freeing the beam.

In order to lock the tubular bushing securely in position in the tubular standard I!) a lock nut 28 is attached to the threaded lower end of the bushing and is turned to engage an annular flange 29 depending from the tubular member It).

Further, a longitudinally disposed set screw 39, adjustably mounted in a lug 3| extending laterally from the bracket H], is adapted to be adjusted so that its end 32 will engage the lower toggle joint arm [8 and thereby control and limit the upward movement of the beam locking rod 9, as well as to prevent the toggle joint arms l6 and I8 from moving inwardly to a point where they would be rendered inoperative.

The beam stops 4 and 5 are transversely disposed with their bufiers 6 and 1 above and below the beam respectively and are secured between lock nuts 33 carried by spaced posts 34 adjustably mounted in spaced standards 35 attached to the shelf 2. By employing this adjustable means the position of the beam stops with relation to the beam and the beam locking rod 9 may be properly adjusted, so that the movement of the beam during the weighing operation may be properly controlled and the co-operating parts relieved of any undue strain in being placed in their locked position.

In operating the beam lock the crank 21 is turned downwardly by the operator to the right, the arm 23 pushing forward the connecting rod. 2| which swings the arms l5 and I3 of the toggle joint I1 so as to push upwardly the beam locking rod 9, carrying the buffer I3 into engagement with the lower edge of the beam, which is raised thereby to engage the upper buffer 4, and thus securely lock the beam in a fixed position. When unlocking the beam preparatory to weighing, the crank 21 is turned upwardly to the left the connecting rod 2| likewise moving to the left and carrying forward the toggle joint arms l6 and I8, thereby lowering the beam locking rod 9 from engagement with the beam and freeing the beam. It is evident, therefore, eflicient and readily operable mechanism is provided for locking and freeing a relatively heavy beam.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown and described is well adapted to fulfill the objects of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the precise form of construction herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of modification in various forms, all coming within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a weighing scale, a Weighing beam, spaced upper and lower beam stops disposed in the path of the beam when moved under the influence of the load, a movable beam locking rod, a toggle joint having its upper arm pivotally connected to the beam locking rod and its lower arm pivotally connected to a bracket, means for raising and lowering the beam locking rod, including pivotally connected actuating members connected to the said beam operating rod and adapted to coact in raising and lowering the said rod, the said beam locking rod being adapted in its raised or operative position to engage the said beam and press the beam against the upper beam stop, thereby locking the beam in its inoperative positlon.

2. In a weighing scale, a weighing beam, spaced upper and lower beam stops disposed in the path of the beam when moved under the influence of the load, a movable beam locking rod vertically mounted in a tubular standard, and mean for raising and lowering the beam locking rod including pivotally connected actuating arms and manually operated control means operatively connected thereto, whereby the said beam locking rod may be raised to its operative position so as to engage the said beam and press it against the upper beam and lock it in its inoperative position.

3. In a weighing scale, a weighing beam, spaced upper and lower beam stops disposed in the path of the beam when moved under the influence of the load, a movable beam locking rod, a toggle joint having its upper arm pivotally connected to the beam locking rod and its lower arm pivotally connected to a bracket, means for raising and lowering the beam locking rod, a connecting arm pivotally connected at its inner end to the said toggle joint and at its outer end to an arm fixedly attached to a shaft extending outside the beam shelf and having a handle mounted thereon for manually operating the intervening mechanism and raising and lowering the said beam locking rod, the said beam locking rod being adapted in its raised or operative position to engage the said beam and press the beam against the upper beam stop, thereby locking the beam in its inoperative position.

4. In a weighing scale, a weighing beam, spaced upper and lower beam stops disposed in the path of the beam when moved under the influence of the load, a movable beam locking rod mounted in a. tubular standard and provided with a buffer adjustably mounted on its upper end, a toggle joint having its upper arm pivotally connected to the beam locking rod and its lower arm pivotally connected to a bracket, means for raising and lowering the beam locking rod, the said beam locking rod being adapted in its raised or operative position to engage the said beam and press the beam against the upper beam stop, thereby locking the beam in its inoperative position.

5. In a weighing scale, a weighing beam, spaced upper and lower beam stops disposed in the path of the beam when moved under the influence of the load, a movable beam locking rod, a toggle joint having its upper arm pivotally connected to the beam locking rod and its lower arm pivotally connected to a bracket, means for raising and lowering the beam locking rod, adjustable means for controlling and limiting the upward movement of the said beam locking rod comprising a set screw adapted to co-operate with the said upper arm of the toggle joint, the said beam locking rod being adapted in its raised or operative position to engage the said beam and press the beam against the upper beam stop, thereby locking the beam in its inoperative position.

ALFRED BOUSFIELD. 

